We stepped off the shuttle bus in Gijon with no expectations and armed with a map and Frank’s detailed port briefing. The port provided a free shuttle to downtown. We quickly found the beach and the 6 kilometers of sea walk. It was a sunny spring day and the locals were out in force. We made it about 2 kilometers when we came across the Alaskan Café. Having strong ties to Alaska we had to stop for a café con lecher and a photo op. The waiter graciously pointed out the best places to explore and we headed onward. After another few kilometers of walking we stopped in the Vinoteca Laurel for a glass of wine. Along with the wine they gave us simple tapas, bread with a slice of Spanish ham. We ended our day by having a 3-course daily special lunch at El Pimenton. While the waiter didn’t speak English, he used expressive signals to convey the menu beyond our limited Spanish. One of the first courses was a local Asturias specialty of Fabes with clams. Faba beans or “fabes” are large beans often cooked in a stew with sausage. The second course was delicious fish or beef. All washed down with terrific house wine.
These locals in this port were friendly and the city was easy to navigate with perfect weather, making for an ideal port call.